“Judah went up to him” [44:18]. Judah approached Joseph with good words, as King Solomon of blessed memory said, “A gentle response allays wrath; a harsh word provokes anger” [Proverbs 15:1]. The verse teaches us that a person will succeed with soft words on his tongue. So too, Judah saw that Joseph was angry because of the goblet. Therefore, he spoke soft words. He said before Joseph all the words and all the things as it happened, in the hope that he would have compassion.1Bahya, Vayigash, Introduction.
Judah prepared himself for legal proceedings, for good words and also for war. Therefore, Judah said, “please, my lord” [44:18]. That is, with me you find everything, whether legal proceedings, good words or war. You will not vanquish me. Therefore, Judah said, “please, my lord” [44:18]. That is, let the sin of the goblet be on me, and not on Benjamin. Let me be a slave and not Benjamin. If you want to say, why do I want to be in the place of Benjamin, more than the other brothers, it is because I was the guarantor with my father to bring Benjamin back home.2Bahya, Genesis, 44:18.
“You who are the equal of Pharaoh” [44:18]. Judah said to Joseph. In my eyes you are as important as Pharaoh. Another explanation is, you will be punished because of Benjamin, who you want to detain, like Pharaoh who detained our mother Sarah for one night. He became leprous and so you will be leprous because of Benjamin. The brothers suspected Joseph that he wanted to take Benjamin for homosexual relations, to sleep with him. Another explanation that you are like Pharaoh; how is Pharaoh? He promises and does not keep his word. So too, you do not keep your word. You said that you wanted to do a kindness with Benjamin and now you do very little kindness with him. Another explanation is, Judah said to Joseph. You are like Pharaoh in my eyes. That is to say, if I would go to war with you, I would kill you both and I would begin with you.3Rashi, Genesis, 44:18.
“My lord asked his servants, have you a father or another brother” [44:19]? He said: you Joseph, you came only with accusations from the beginning. Why did you need to ask if we have a father? Did we desire to marry your daughters? Judah said to Joseph. You went at us only with accusations. Why would you ask about our father or brothers? Because you asked about our father and brothers, we told you the truth that we have a father and a small brother, and that one brother was lost.4Rashi, Genesis, 44:19. In the previous portion they said that one brother was lost. The explanation is that the brothers were now afraid that they lost a brother. Perhaps Joseph would say, search for him and bring him here. Therefore, the brothers said: we learned that one brother died.5Rashi, Genesis, 44:20. We have told you that if the youth would be removed from his father, the father would die of anguish and also the youth. 6Rashi, Genesis, 44:22.
You had said: you should not see my face without the youth. We came to our father and our father said, “my wife bore me two sons” [44:27]. That is to say, you will take Benjamin from me. My most beloved wife was Rachel. She only left me two children, Joseph and Benjamin. Joseph is not here, and you will also take Benjamin from me.7Ramban, Genesis, 44:29.
“He meets with disaster” [44:29]. Something will happen to him on the way, like what happened to his brother. He is not used to travel on the roads.8Ramban, Genesis, 44:29. Now that Benjamin is with me, I rejoice with him and console myself with him, over his brother and mother who have died. If you will cause Benjamin to be lost, then you will soon bring me to my grave, with troubles and sorrow over my former days.9Rashi, Genesis, 44:29.
Bahya writes. Judah said to Joseph. Be warned about our father. He cursed Rachel when she took the images and Rachel soon died of his curse. He could also curse you. Also, the brothers went to the city of Shechem and destroyed it for the sake of one woman. How much mores so now, for one male, this is Benjamin, two will go and devastate Egypt. In addition, Benjamin is holy. The Holy One will rest in his land and the Temple will be built in his part of the land of Israel. Therefore, hand over Benjamin.10Bahya, Genesis, 44:18.
“Your servant has pledged himself for the boy” [44:32]. Judah said: I must speak more than the other brothers because I was the guarantor for Benjamin and accepted excommunication upon myself to bring Benjamin to my father. I have put my share in the world to come in jeopardy.11Rashi, Genesis, 44:32. The guarantor loses his soul because he caused the one whom he guaranteed to sin. He lost physically and financially, when Judah was the guarantor for Benjamin.12Ibn Shuaib, Derashot, I: 88.
He said, “I shall stand guilty before my father forever” [44:32]. When Judah said that he had become a guarantor for Benjamin, Joseph said. I see in my goblet that you sold your brother and why were you not the guarantor for him? You brought a sin to his father. When Judah heard this, he said to Naphtali. Find out how many markets and streets there are in the city of Egypt. Naphtali said: there are twelve markets in Egypt. Judah said: I will take three markets to destroy them and you brothers, each one take one market to destroy the people. The brothers said to him, if you will destroy Egypt, it is as if you destroyed the whole world. Judah again began to argue with Joseph. He said: first you came with accusations and said that we were spies. Then you said that we stole the goblet. Therefore, I want to swear by my father and you swore by the life of Pharaoh the evildoer. Now I will take out my sword and chop off your head. I will open my mouth and swallow you up. Joseph said: I will stop up your mouth with a stone. Judah said: the fire of the city of Shechem burns in my heart. Joseph said: the fire of your daughter-in-law, Tamar, in whose bed you lay, that is what is burning in you. Judah said: I will soon color Egypt with blood. Joseph said: you have long experience in coloring; you colored Joseph’s shirt and told your father that a wild animal had devoured Joseph. Immediately, the brothers agreed to destroy the city of Egypt. Joseph was afraid and identified himself to his brothers.13Bahya, Genesis, 44:32.
Joseph ordered all the people to leave. Only the brothers should remain with Joseph, since he thought that the brothers would be embarrassed before the Egyptians that they had sold him. It would also be an embarrassment for Joseph that he had such brothers and would not allow the brothers to live in Egypt. He also told them to leave because there were many of Pharaoh’s ministers who would plead on behalf of Benjamin and he would not be able to deny them. Therefore, he asked everyone to leave.14Ramban, Genesis, 45:1.
Rabbi Samuel the son of Nachmani said that Joseph was in great danger when he told all the people to leave and identified himself to his brothers. How did he not fear that they would kill him and nobody would know about it?15Bahya, Genesis, 45:1.
The Midrash writes. Joseph said to his brothers. You told me that Benjamin’s brother died. Now I will call him, and he called out, come here Joseph. The brothers looked around in all four directions. Joseph said: why are you looking around? I am Joseph your brother. The brothers’ souls flew out from fright and they could not answer. Rabbi Johanan said: when the brothers could not respond to Joseph, how much more so when the Holy One will have the Day of Judgment for the people and will tell them their sins, they will not be able to respond out of fright.16Bahya, Genesis, 45:3.
Toldot Yizhak asks a question. Why does Joseph have to ask, I am Joseph, is your father still alive? They had said much earlier, in a previous portion, that Jacob was still alive. The explanation is that Joseph said: I am your brother Joseph that you sold me. Joseph thought: the brothers would be afraid that I would kill them because they had sold me. Therefore, Joseph said: my father is still alive. Therefore, do not be afraid. Even the evil Esau did not want to do anything to Jacob because Isaac, his father, was still alive. He did not want to cause anguish for his father. How much more so, I will do no evil to you. Therefore, he immediately asked, is our father still alive? Therefore, do not be afraid.17Toldot Yizhak, Genesis, 45:3–5.
When Joseph saw that the brothers were afraid, Joseph said to his brothers, “come forward to me” [45:4]. Come here to me. I am Joseph that you sold. However, do not be afraid. The Holy One sent me to feed you. You did not send me to Egypt, but the Holy One did. You can well understand this since you sold me as a slave and the Holy One made me a lord over Egypt.
The brothers approached Joseph and he showed them his circumcision, that he was their brother.18Rashi, Genesis, 45:4.
Bahya writes. Joseph said: I am Joseph. Just as when you sold me to Egypt, I am still your brother and do not want to have dominion over you.19Bahya, Genesis, 45:4.
Ibn Shuaib writes. “Only then were his brothers able to talk to him” [45:15]. Afterwards, the brothers spoke with him, with Joseph. They pleaded with Joseph that he should not tell Jacob that they sold him. They were afraid that he would curse them all. Jacob never knew about the sale, as we will write below in parshat Vayehi. As Ramban also writes, if Jacob had known about the sale, he would have ordered in his will and testament that Joseph should forgive his brothers. Therefore, Joseph did not send to tell Jacob about the sale, in the expectation that Jacob should not curse the brothers. Some sages say that Joseph was not supposed to say that he was sold because the ten brothers had issued a ban. From here we learn that when ten issue a ban, then one must observe the ban, even though they are not among the ten people. So writes Ibn Shuaib.20Ibn Shuaib, Derashot, I: 90.
“Hurry back to my father” [45:9]. Joseph said: go immediately to our father and tell him that God has made me a lord over the land of Egypt. Therefore, come quickly to me. I will put you in the land of Goshen, near Egypt. Bahya writes. Joseph knew well that Jacob would not want to live in the capital city of Egypt. Therefore, he proposed to Jacob that he would put him in Goshen, near Egypt.21Bahya, Genesis, 45:10.
“There I will provide for you” [45:11]. Ramban asks a question. Why did Joseph not provide for Jacob in the land of Canaan and told him to go outside the land of Israel. The explanation Ramban gives is that he said, I cannot provide for you in the land of Canaan. The king and his ministers will say that Joseph wants to enrich himself in the land of Canaan and wants to return to the land of Canaan. Therefore, you have to go to the land of Goshen, since the famine will still continue. When you and my brothers will come to Goshen, the ministers and the king will see that I will remain in the land of Egypt.22Ramban, Genesis, 45:11.
“You can see for yourselves and my brother Benjamin” [45:12]. Joseph said to his brothers. You see my honor and that I am your brother. I am circumcised and I speak Hebrew as well as you. Hizkuni asks. What kind of proof is circumcision? There are many Turks who practice circumcision. The explanation is that the Turks practice circumcision, but do not uncover the corona, but Joseph had circumcision, and uncovered corona. Hizkuni asks another question. The Egyptians circumcised themselves for the sake of grain, since Joseph did not want to give grain to the Egyptians. They had to circumcise themselves first. What kind of proof was it that Joseph showed his circumcision? Perhaps he was one of the Egyptians who had circumcised themselves? The explanation is that Joseph was the lord over the grain. Had he been an Egyptian, he would not have needed to circumcise himself because he was very wealthy. Therefore, the brothers said that he must be a Jew and is our brother.23Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:4.
Therefore, Joseph said, “you can see for yourself” [45:12]. That is, you see my great honor and wealth and that I am circumcised and that I am a Jew.24Rashi, Genesis, 45:12.
“My brother Benjamin for himself” [45:12]. He compared all the brothers to each other. That is, just as I have no hatred toward Benjamin, so too, I have no hatred to all of you.25Rashi, Genesis, 45:12.
Hizkuni writes. Joseph said to his brothers. If you will not tell our father that I am alive because you have all sworn that you would not tell him, then let Benjamin see that I am alive. Let him tell my father, since Benjamin had not sworn26Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:12.
Toldot Yizhak asks a question. Why did Joseph say that you see and Benjamin sees that I speak Hebrew? There were many people in Egypt who could speak Hebrew. The explanation is that Joseph said: you should go and tell our father that he should come here. The famine will last another five years. If you do not believe me that I am right, then see with your own eyes that the dream that I dreamed, that eleven brothers will bow down to me, and the dream of the ears of grain pointed to famine. Your eyes show you that you have come along with Benjamin and you bowed down. This is why I desired that you should also bring Benjamin, so that you eleven brothers should bow down at one time, in the expectation that the dream should be fulfilled. Therefore, you should also believe me when I tell you that there will be a famine for five years. This is the meaning of the verse, “it is indeed I who am speaking to you” [45:12]. That is to say, you can understand what I am saying, that it is true. Therefore, bring my father and I will support him.27Toldot Yizhak, Genesis, 45:12.
Rabbi Isserl writes. When Joseph said, “I am Joseph, is my father still well?” [45:3]. That is to say, I am still alive and my father should still live. With his prophecy, he should know that I am alive, if my father was a prophet. Therefore, Joseph asked, is my father still alive with his prophecy?28Be’ure Maharai, Genesis, 45:3.
“He embraced his brother Benjamin around the neck and wept” [45:14]. Joseph fell on Benjamin’s neck and he cried, because two Temples would be built in Benjamin’s land and they would be destroyed. Benjamin cried about Joseph, since one Temple would be destroyed in Joseph’s land.29Rashi, Genesis, 45:14.
He kissed all of his brothers. He showed them that they should not fear him, since he had no hatred for them any more.30Bahya, Genesis, 45:15.
“The news reached Pharaoh’s house” [45:16]. Pharaoh’s house was notified that the brothers of Joseph had come. Pharaoh and the ministers rejoiced. They were ashamed that they had thought that Joseph might have been a slave who was descended from ordinary people and became a king. However, now they had seen that Joseph had important brothers and an important father. They liked this very much. The Midrash says that they wanted to kill him. An angel came down from heaven and threw the brothers into all the corners of the house. Judah shouted and the walls of Egypt collapsed and all the pregnant women miscarried out of fright. Pharaoh fell off of his throne, and all the warriors in all of Egypt were frightened.31Bahya, Genesis, 45:16.
“Load up your beasts” [45:17]. Pharaoh said to Joseph. Tell your brothers that they should load grain on their donkeys to take to the land of Canaan. Pharaoh knew well that Joseph was very humble and trustworthy. He would not send it on his own authority. Therefore, Pharaoh himself ordered that they should send grain to the land of Canaan to feed them. He ordered them to bring his father to the land of Egypt with his wives and household.32Bahya, Genesis, 45:19.
“You shall live off the fat of the land” [45:19]. Pharaoh said that they should eat from the best of the land. Our sages say that he prophetically said that the Israelites would clean out the best from Egypt in the end when they would be redeemed.33Bahya, Genesis, 45:18.
“Joseph gave them wagons” [45:21]. Joseph sent a sign to Jacob that he should believe that it was Joseph. He said to tell Jacob, remember what torah we studied when you accompanied me on the way. You studied with me that it is a very meritorious thing to accompany the guest. When one accompanies the guest, the guest is protected from robbers on the road. Therefore, the Torah commanded to bring a calf as expiation when one finds a person who was killed near a city. The people must kill the calf and must say over the calf, we have not spilled this blood. We have accompanied the guest and gave him bread for provisions. That is why the verse says, “he gave them wagons.” That is to say, he sent Jacob a sign from the calves that Jacob studied when he separated from him.34Rashi, Genesis, 45:27. The comment builds on the connection between wagons [agalot] and calf [egel].
“He gave a change of clothing” [45:22]. Joseph gave each brother clothes, since they had torn their clothes over the goblet. They were ashamed to go outside.35Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:22.
“To Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver” [45:22]. He gave silver to Benjamin because he was not at the sale of Joseph. He did not give money to the other brothers. It was a penalty, since whoever sells a person as a slave; he must give thirty weights of silver. Therefore, Joseph penalized each brother thirty weights of silver and there were ten brothers who sold Joseph. Ten times thirty is three hundred. Therefore Joseph gave Benjamin three hundred weights of silver. So write Bahya and Hizkuni.36Bahya, Genesis, 45:22; Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:22.
However, Toldot Yizhak writes. Joseph gave three hundred weight of silver because he spoke three evil things about his brothers. The law is that when someone says bad things about his friend, he must give a hundred weights of silver. It was not given to the brothers because they sold him.37Toldot Yizhak, Genesis, 45:22.
He gave five changes of clothes to Benjamin. The first was because Benjamin tore his garments with the brothers over the goblet. The second garment was given because he was his brother from the same mother. The third garment was because he had hidden the goblet and accused him of being a thief. He gave him the last two garments because when someone steals something he must return double. Joseph accused Benjamin of being a thief and therefore he paid him double. So writes Hizkuni.38Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:22.
Bahya and Toldot Yizhak write. Joseph gave five garments to Benjamin. With this he showed that Mordecai would come from Benjamin, and he would go forth in five garments before King Ahasuerus.39Bahya, Genesis, 45:22; Toldot Yizhak, Genesis, 45:22.
Joseph sent ten donkeys with food for his father. He sent good, old wine and all sorts of food in the world, and good fruits.40Rashi, Genesis, 45:23.
All the brothers went to their father and also Benjamin, who went with Judah, who was his guarantor to bring him back to his father, upon which Judah took a ban of excommunication upon himself, to bring him. Bahya asks a question. Why was Judah punished that his bones could not rest in his coffin for the forty years in the desert? It is because he took upon himself the ban of excommunication to bring Benjamin back. What kind of sin did Judah commit? He did bring him back. The explanation is that because Judah said, I will have sinned all my days if I did not bring Benjamin back. How did he know that he would bring him back? Perhaps Joseph would not let him return? Therefore, Judah had not spoken properly.41Bahya, Genesis, 45:24.
“Do not be quarrelsome on the way” [45:24]. Joseph said to his brothers. Do not be afraid when you have many goods with you. Now in this inflation, there is much robbery, but because I am sending you and they are afraid of me on all sides. He also said that you should not argue with each other that you spoke ill of Joseph and that is why you sold him. Therefore, do not argue. You should not study excessively on the way, so you don’t go astray.42Bahya, Genesis, 45:24.
Imre Noam asks a question. Why did Jacob not forbid his children to study when they went to Egypt for grain? The explanation is that Jacob did not have to forbid that they should not study Torah on the way, because they had no grain, they would certainly not study Torah. One does not need to forbid them. Our sages said, “if there is no flour, there is no Torah” [M. Avot 3. 17].43Imre Noam, Genesis, 45:24.
Some sages say that Joseph commanded that when they studied Torah on the road, they should not talk about idle things, such as “what a beautiful tree this is, or what a lovely field this is” [M. Avot, 3.7]. Therefore he said, do not engage in halakhic matters [Rashi, 45:24]. That is to say, you should not speak idle words when you will study, but you should study earnestly.44Devek Tov, Genesis, 45:24.
Joseph also commanded them that they should not stride quickly and run, since it diminishes the sight of the one who strides quickly.45B. Ta’anit, 10b. Joseph thought that they would walk quickly to tell their father the good news about Joseph. Therefore, he forbade them to stride quickly.46Rashi, Genesis, 45:24.
“His heart went numb” [45:26]. The children told Jacob that Joseph was alive and that he was a king in Egypt. Jacob was shocked out of great joy and almost fainted. Old people are very weak when they are frightened and their soul easily leaves them.47Ramban, Genesis, 45:26.
He could barely believe that he was still alive. They told him the sign from the Torah that they studied when Joseph had taken his leave from Jacob. This was the portion of “the calf whose neck is broken,”48Deuteronomy, 21:1–9. that one should accompany every guest.49Rashi, Genesis, 45:27.
“The spirit of their father Jacob revived” [45:27]. Prophecy again returned to Jacob. The whole time that he did not know about Joseph prophecy had been removed from Jacob. Joseph was in Egypt for twenty-two years and was only five days journey from Jacob; he did not know that Joseph was alive. So writes [Midrash] Tanhuma.50Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:27.
“Enough, my son Joseph is still alive” [45:28]. Jacob said: it is not important that he is a king, but it is enough that he is still alive. So writes Hizkuni.51Hizkuni, Genesis, 45:28.
Rabbi Isserl writes. Jacob said: Esau was called enough. He thought that Joseph was lost and rejoiced that Joseph was lost. Joseph was the opponent of Esau, who would war with Esau. Therefore, Jacob said: enough do not rejoice Esau, Joseph is still alive.52Be’ure Maharai, Genesis, 45:28.
“He offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac” [46:1]. Jacob traveled to Beer Sheva and brought sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac. From here we learn that one must honor one’s father more than one’s grandfather. Therefore, it was mentioned that he brought sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac and did not mention Abraham his grandfather.53Rashi, Genesis, 46:1.
Hizkuni writes. Jacob brought the sacrifices because his father, Isaac, had brought sacrifices in Beer Sheva and therefore he mentioned Isaac and not Abraham. He brought sacrifices because he saw prophetically that his children would have to be in exile in Egypt. Therefore, he brought sacrifices so that the Holy One would act kindly with his children in the exile.54Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:1, 3.
“I am the God of your father” [46:3]. The Holy One appeared to Jacob and said to him. I forbade your father to go outside the land of Israel, but you should not fear, and go to Egypt. Hizkuni writes. Jacob said: now I am going to Egypt. The exile will begin, which was told to my grandfather, that his children would be in exile in a foreign land. The Holy One said to Jacob. Even though your children will be in exile, they will again have what I promised. They will become a great people in this exile.55Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:3.
“I Myself will go down with you” [46:4]. The Holy One said to Jacob, I will go with you to Egypt. That is to say, I will redeem you from exile, and promised him that he would be buried in the land of Israel. Therefore, the verse says twice, “will bring you back” [46:4]. That is, I will have you brought back to the land of Israel and all the twelve tribes will also be brought back to be buried in the land of Israel, and afterwards they will also be brought to the world to come. Therefore, he says I. That is to say, the Ten Commandments that begin with I. The tribes will accept them, and through that, they will ascend to the land of Israel, the world to come and the Garden of Eden. Just as the Holy One was in Egypt with Israel, so too he was in the Babylonian exile, and so is the Holy One with Israel in the exile of Edom, which is our exile that we are in the midst of. Because the Holy One was with Israel in Egypt, seventy souls became six hundred thousand men in the exile of Egypt. Bahya writes. A rabbi was once speaking in the house of study. He saw that the people were not interested in listening to his sermon and several were sleeping. He wanted to wake them, so he began to tell a tall tale in the hope that they would wake up. He said that there was a woman in Egypt who carried in her womb six hundred thousand children at one time. The people woke up as a result of this tall tale. They asked the rabbi, who was the woman who had so many children? The rabbi said: she was called Yocheved and she gave birth to Moses Our Teacher, who with his good deeds was compared to six hundred thousand men; that is to say, in comparison to all of Israel.56Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:4.
“Joseph’s hand shall close your eyes” [46:4]. Hizkuni writes. The Holy One said to Jacob. Joseph will still live when you will die, and Joseph will put his hand over your eyes when you will die. That is, the custom is that when a person dies, one closes his eyes after death, since it is shameful to the deceased if the eyes remain open. The Holy One promised Jacob that Joseph would take Jacob to the land of Israel to bury him with honor.57Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:4.
“They took along their livestock and the wealth they had amassed” [46:6]. Jacob took his children, wives, livestock and all his goods that he had acquired in the land of Canaan. However, all the goods that he had gathered in Padan Aram with Laban, he gave all this to Esau for the share of the cave where all the Patriarchs should be buried. Jacob said: all the money that I have acquired outside the land [of Israel] is not beloved to me. He placed a great pile of gold and silver before Esau and said: take as much as you want, even though Jacob was very stingy with a penny, as we find. He once forgot a small jug of oil and he returned alone for the jug in the field. It is just that we should be stingy with the kosher [properly acquired] money, since the kosher penny is hard to acquire. Similarly, Jacob thought that the false penny that I acquired when I was outside the land and gathered money and livestock, for the sake of which I threw away the holy land of Israel. Therefore, he did not want to have that money.58Rashi, Genesis, 46:6.
“Saul the son of a Canaanite woman” [46:10]. The verse says that Jacob came with his household to Egypt. The children of Simeon also came and one son was called Saul, the son of the Canaanite woman. That is, Simeon and Levi took Dinah out of the house of Shechem and Hamor. Dinah did not want to leave, since she would not find a man who would take her as a wife. Simeon swore that he would take her as a wife and had a son with her who was called, Saul the son of the Canaanite woman.59Rashi, Genesis, 46:10. That is to say, because Dinah slept with the Canaanite, she was called the Canaanite woman. If you want to ask, how is it that he should take his sister as a wife? The explanation is that we find that with each son of Jacob, a female was born, and each one should marry that sister. The verse does not say this explicitly that they married their twins. It says, “All the persons belonging to Jacob who came to Egypt – his own issue, aside from the wives of Jacob’s sons” [46:26]. This means, all the souls who issued from his flesh and the wives of the children of Jacob. That is to say, one should understand that the wives of his children were not the children of Jacob, and in truth, they were born with the tribes. Each of the tribes took his twin as a wife. The souls were seventy and Jacob. With Jacob, there were seventy-one. So there were seventy elders over Israel in Egypt during the exile. Moses Our Teacher was seventy-one. So too, there were seventy nations in the world. Israel is over the seventy nations. There are also seventy angels around the Throne of Glory in Heaven and the Holy One is over them all.
“Judah’s sons: Er, Onan” [46:12]. Hizkuni asks a question. Why does the verse have to count the children of Judah, Er and Onan, since they died before they went to Egypt? The explanation is, because Judah took a wife from foreigners. Therefore, he sinned, so that Er and Onan died. Therefore, the verse here counts Er and Onan among the children who came to Egypt. Hizkuni gives another explanation. It mentions his children, Er and Onan, here, because Judah caused that all the children of Jacob came into the exile of Egypt. If Judah had rebuked his brothers that they should not sell Joseph, then they would not have come to Egypt. The Holy One said to Judah. You did not think that your father was anguished about Joseph. Therefore, when Israel, your father, will be full of joy and happiness, your children who died will be remembered, and you will mourn, because you caused your father to mourn.60Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:10.
“The sons of Jacob’s wife Rachel” [46:19]. It does not say about any of the wives that she was the wife of Jacob, but only for Rachel does it say that she was the wife of Jacob. The explanation is, because Jacob loved Rachel very much, more than the other wives.61Rashi, Genesis, 46:19.
“All the persons numbered sixty-six” [46:26]. With the evil Esau there were only six souls and the verse calls them souls, many people. Jacob had seventy children and the verse calls them soul, as if they were all one person. The explanation is that because Esau and his children worshiped many foreign gods, therefore the verse calls them, many people. However, with Jacob and his children, the verse calls them, a soul, like they were one person, because they served one God, they were all like one person. Therefore, when a Jew apostatizes, one says that he has gone to the larger community.62Rashi, Genesis, 46:26.
“He sent Judah ahead” [46:28]. Jacob sent Judah that he should go ahead and should show him the way to go to Goshen, so that he should not have to go through the city of Egypt. So writes Hizkuni.63Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:28. Rashi writes that he sent Judah ahead to find a house in which to study Torah.64Rashi, Genesis, 46:28.
“Joseph ordered his chariot” [46:29]. Joseph hitched his chariot to go to his father. Rabbi Judah said: two people saw great joy that no other person saw in their days. One was Jacob. When Joseph went to meet his father, all the nobles also went out toward Jacob and all the people of Egypt also went to Jacob with great honor. The other one was Jethro, who had great joy when he saw Moses Our Teacher coming toward him, and all of Israel following him. This was a great honor for him.65Bahya, Genesis, 46:29.
“He embraced him around the neck” [46:29]. Joseph fell on Jacob’s neck and cried, but Jacob did not fall on Joseph’s neck. Jacob was reciting the Shema at that time.66Rashi, Genesis, 46:29. Here one asks a question. Why did Joseph also not recite the Shema? The explanation is that Joseph was absolved from the obligation to read the Shema because he was engaged in fulfilling a commandment. He was honoring his father and was going to greet him. Thus, he did not need to read the Shema.67Devek Tov, Genesis, 46:29, n. 10.
Ramban writes. How is it that Joseph fell on his father’s neck? This was not culturally appropriate. He should have prostrated himself before his father with fear. Therefore, the explanation must be that Jacob fell on his son’s neck and embraced him. “He wept on his neck, etc.” [46:29]. That is to say, Jacob was still crying, as he had cried previously when he was lost, so Jacob was still crying. Particularly now, when a son that he had lost hope for, had become a king. How could he not cry for joy? The old people can do no more than cry in their troubles and their joy.68Ramban, Genesis, 46:29.
“Now I can die” [46:30]. Jacob said to Joseph. I thought that I would die two deaths, one in this world and in the other world. The Holy One would, heaven forbid, punish me because of you, that you were almost killed because I sent you, the Shekhinah had departed from me. But now that you are alive, I will only die one time and depart this world. So writes Rashi. However, Toldot Yizhak writes. Jacob said: if I had not seen you alive, I would not die. I died long ago, when they brought me your shirt, my soul left me. I was as if dead, but now since I have seen you alive, I am alive again. Therefore, I can die when my time will come69Toldot Yizhak, Genesis, 46:30.
“I will go up and tell the news to Pharaoh” [46:31]. Joseph said to his brothers. I will go to Pharaoh and will tell him that my brothers and father have come. When Pharaoh will ask you, what kind of artisans are you, you should say that you have flocks in the field and your parents were also shepherds. Tell him also that you have many flocks and therefore have no other work.
Hizkuni writes here. Joseph told them to say that they were shepherds, expecting that Pharaoh should denigrate them. They caused Joseph to be mute before Pharaoh, that Joseph became insignificant before Pharaoh. Therefore Joseph told the brothers to say that they are shepherds, that is, insignificant. Rashi writes that Joseph told them that they should say that they were shepherds because the Egyptians worship the sheep and consider it an idol. Therefore, the Egyptians hate shepherds.70Hizkuni, Genesis, 46:34.
Here one asks a question. Why do they hate the shepherds? On the contrary, they should love those who watch over the sheep because they do good things for the sheep and watch over them that they should have food and water. The explanation is that sometimes they sheep go astray and the shepherd must hit them. That is why they hate those who hit their idols. Another explanation is that they therefore hate shepherds because the one who watches over them knows what the sheep are and does not worship them.71Imre Noam, Genesis, 46:34.
“Selecting five of his brothers” [47:2]. Joseph took five brothers who were not so handsome, that is to say, the weakest ones, and placed them before Pharaoh. He took the weakest ones, because if he had seen the strongest brothers, then Pharaoh would have made them officers, to go to war. Joseph took Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Benjamin, and Issachar, since they were the weakest ones.72Rashi, Genesis, 47:2.
“We have come to sojourn in the land” [47:4]. Pharaoh asked: what kind of artisans are you? They said: we are shepherds and that is why we have come here to live, since there is no food to eat for the sheep in the land of Canaan. Therefore, let us dwell in the land of Goshen. Pharaoh answered Joseph: put your brothers in the land of Goshen and put your father wherever you want. If you know that there are strong people among your brothers, let them watch over my flocks since the sheep used to pasture in the wilderness, which was full of wild animals. Therefore, one must have strong people to guard the flocks.73Hizkuni, Genesis, 47:6.
“Jacob greeted Pharaoh” [47:7]. Joseph brought his father before Pharaoh, and Jacob greeted Pharaoh. Pharaoh asked Jacob: how old are you? Jacob responded: all my days I have been a stranger and wandered from one city to the other city and had no good in my days. Therefore, do not think that I am old, but my face is looks old from troubles and worries. My parents were all older than me. Hizkuni writes. The Holy One said to Jacob: I protected you from Esau, from Laban, and from Shechem and returned Dinah and Joseph to you. You said that you had evil, bad and few years. For this reason, I will diminish thirty-three years less than your parents from you, as many extra words that you spoke. For each word you must live one year less. From here we learn that a person should always praise God, even when not everything goes well and one should not talk against God who does everything for good.74Hizkuni, Genesis, 47:8.
Imre Noam writes. Pharaoh asked Jacob: how old are you, because Jacob had said that he would remain in Egypt until the end of the famine. Afterwards, he would return to the land of Canaan. Therefore, Pharaoh asked, how old are you. That is, you think you will live long enough that you want to return to the land of Canaan after the famine. The Midrash75Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews, V: 360, cites the Imre Noam as the source of this story, and does not cite a midrashic source. writes that Pharaoh was with Abimelech when Abraham came before Abimelech. This Abimelech had a very low gate and an image of the idol was over the gate. Each person who wanted to visit Abimelech through that gate, had to bow down. When Abraham came to that gate, the gate rose, so that Abraham should not have to bow down to the image. Pharaoh in Egypt also had a gate with this image. When Jacob came, the gate went up. Pharaoh asked Jacob: how old are you? Pharaoh had thought that this was Abraham because the gate went up.76Imre Noam, Genesis, 47:8.
“Jacob blessed Pharaoh” [47:10]. Jacob blessed Pharaoh and said to him. The water from the river Nile should also go up and water all the fields. There was no rain in Egypt to water the fields. From Jacob’s blessing onwards, the river Nile watered all the fields.77Rashi, Genesis, 47:10.
“Joseph sustained his father and his brothers, and all his father’s household with bread, down to the little ones” [47:12]. Joseph sustained his father and his father’s household, even the children, and he gave enough bread. The custom is that the small children spoil the bread by crumbling it.
“Joseph gathered” [47:14]. Joseph gathered all the silver in the land of Egypt and in the land of Canaan in return for the grain. He brought the silver into Pharaoh’s treasury. When the silver was used up, they came to Joseph and said, give us bread, the silver is used up. Why should we die before your eyes? Joseph said: give your flocks. Joseph gave them bread for one year in exchange for the flocks. The next year they came again and said, give us, since the flocks and bread are finished. Joseph took all of their fields and gave them bread for their fields.
Ramban writes. Why does the verse have to say that the Egyptians said that the silver of the land of Egypt was used up and says again that the silver of the land of Canaan was used up? Why was Egypt concerned that the silver in the land of Canaan was used up? The explanation is that the Egyptians said to Joseph. You think to gather more silver for your grain. They knew that the silver was used up in all the lands. Why should we die for nothing, as nobody will buy your grain?78Ramban, Genesis, 47:15.
“Provide the seed” [47:19]. The Egyptians said to Joseph, give us grain. We will sow the grain on the fields, even though Joseph had said that it would be five more years of famine. Now he gave them grain to sow. The people said that Joseph is no proper prophet. The explanation is that when Jacob came, all the Egyptians saw that the water of the river Nile went towards him and watered all the fields. All the ministers and also Pharaoh said that the blessing came because of Jacob.79Rashi, Genesis, 47:19.
However, Ramban writes. As soon as Jacob died, the five years of famine began again, in the expectation that there should be seven years of famine to fulfill what Joseph had said. When the righteous person is in the world, the blessing is with them in the world.80Ramban, Genesis, 47:18.
“Take our” [47:19]. Ramban asks. They said to Joseph: buy us as slaves and the verse says that Joseph only bought the fields. The explanation is that the Egyptians said to Joseph. Buy slaves to serve and buy the fields that they should be yours. Joseph said: I will only buy the fields. You must be included in the sale of the fields, in order to work the fields. It would be just that you should take a fifth part and Pharaoh will take four parts of the field to eat, for your labor. However, I will do a kindness with you. You should take four parts and Pharaoh will take the fifth part, just like you were the owners of the fields. However, be warned that you will serve Pharaoh forever, to work the fields.81Ramban, Genesis, 47:19.
Joseph was concerned that each one would remain on his fields, and it would be forgotten in the long run and each one would say that the field was his, and they would not want to give to Pharaoh from the field. Therefore Joseph took all the people and interchanged them from one city to another city.82Hizkuni, Genesis, 47:21.
“The priests had an allotment from Pharaoh” [47:22]. He gave the priests enough bread from the king’s table. Joseph made all this because the priests gave a proper judgment when his master’s wife said that Joseph had slept with her. His master’s wife had taken the white of a chicken egg and she threw it on the bed sheet. She said that this was Joseph’s semen, when he had slept with her. The sheet was brought before the priests and the priests said that the sheet should be held before the fire. If it were semen, then it would dissolve in the fire. However, if it was egg white, it would become hard and pieces of the egg white would remain as a sign on the sheet. They did so and the egg white remained on the sheet. Yet, it is written in the verse that Pharaoh gave them bread. The explanation is that Joseph spoke with Pharaoh that the priest should be given enough bread because they served in their idolatrous temples.83Imre Noam, Genesis, 47:22.